


Leggy

by bgn846



Series: FFXV Octomen - Noctopus, Promptopus, Ignisopus, Gladiopus [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gladio has to take care of his friends, Gladnis if you squint, Hurt/Comfort, Ignis actually sleeps for once, Ignis whump, M/M, Made Up Monsters, Sleepy Cuddles, Status Effects, Well maybe you dont' need to squint, half human half octopus, he needs it, made up status effects, octoman, octomer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15949898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: While fighting a new creepy (totally made up monster) Noct and Prompto suffer from a new status effect (also totally made up).  Ignis steps up to help but gets hurt and it's left up to Gladio to make sure they are all safe.





	Leggy

**Author's Note:**

> Got inspired by some artwork by the talented @MintFoxMimi See the piece here... [MintFoxMimi Tumblr Post](http://mintfoxmimi.tumblr.com/post/176031351415/octomer-status-effect-commission)
> 
> or see the reblog on my page here... [bgn846 blog](https://bgn846.tumblr.com/post/176035850386/mintfoxmimi-octomer-status-effect-commission)
> 
> Otherwise I totally made up some monsters and borrowed the idea of the status effect from that fun piece of art! Enjoy! :)
> 
> Also just a silly warning I am totally misusing italics when Noct and Prompto talk during their new status effect. I imagine them talking like alvin and chipmunks. lol

It all happened in a split second.  Gladio turned around in time to see the monster lash out one of its spiky tentacles towards Noct.  He was too far away to do anything about it so all he could do was watch as his gut twisted with dread.  Then he heard Ignis yelling and saw him shove the prince out of the way.  Noct’s body fell out of range but Ignis took the hit instead.  The blow was forceful enough to send the advisor sailing into the air a few feet and land heavily on his side. 

As Gladio ran over closing the gap between them he saw a smaller non-spikey tentacle slither out from underneath the monster.  It was coiling up like a spring and appeared to be aiming at Noct.  “Warp your skinny ass outta there Noct!” He yelled while aiming a blow at the monster himself.  He needed to kill this monster fast; he couldn’t properly attend to Ignis until that task had been completed.

He caught the prince moving out his peripheral as he lunged forward.  He aimed his great sword and hoped it would be enough to finish the beast.  Slimy fluids came seeping out from where his sword had struck and bless the astrals it seemed that he had finally killed it. 

The silence that came next was deafening.  He could hear birds chirping but no random shit talk that usually accompanied the post battle scene.  He spun quickly to assess the damage.  What he didn’t expect was Ignis still lying on the ground and that there seemed to be absolutely no sign of the prince or Prompto.

Running over to Ignis he started to panic that something more grave had occurred than he originally thought.  “Iggy!  You still with us?” He collapsed on his knees next to Ignis with a sigh of relief when the advisor groaned.  He was alive.

“Where does it hurt?” He asked as he processed all the newly forming bruises and cuts covering his friend. 

“Everywhere you behemoth…  I got slugged by a giant tentacle monster.”  He mumbled with his eyes closed. 

Gladio smirked, if Ignis was being cynical then he was going to be ok.  But he still had another issue to deal with.  “Not to alarm you but we seem to have lost the crown prince and his friend.”

Ignis dragged his eyes open and looked up at Gladio. “Lost?”

“Yeah… I am hoping that a lack of an actual body is a good sign but the verdict is still out on that one.” He sighed “Let me get you patched up and then I’ll take a look around.  Do you think anything is broken?” 

Ignis murmured that he didn’t think so and made to sit up.  Gladio actually heard him whimper when he was sitting up fully.  He must be in real pain.  Gently placing a hand on his shoulder he kept Ignis from tipping. “You already know we are out of potions so how can I help you right now?”

“I think my head and arm are the worst.” He sighed listing a little to the side. 

Gladio readjusted his hold and opted to slip his arm around the advisors back to keep him steady.  He was about to prod at Ignis’ arm to see the cut when a small movement caught his attention.  He looked up and saw a small dark blue blob rushing at him.  It was a blur of little writhing worms moving way faster than physically possible.  Out of instinct he summoned a dagger from the armiger and tugged Ignis closer leaning over him in a protective stance. 

Then he heard it, a small childlike voice yelling his name.  As the blob got closer he realized it was where the sound was coming from.  The tone sounded so familiar he almost didn’t believe it when he realized that dark blue blob was actually Noct.  He quickly dismissed his weapon as Noct came into focus.  What had initially looked like worms were actually tiny tentacles attached to an equally tiny version of Noct from the waist up.  

It was shocking to see how fast Noct could move in this state.  He reached them in no time and immediately slithered into Ignis’ arms. 

“ _Are you okay Specs_?” He asked. 

Gladio was too taken aback to comment and Ignis was struggling to not pass out.  He could tell that it was Noct talking but he sounded like he was speaking from inside a tiny tin box.   After a long minute he finally responded.  “He might have a concussion but otherwise he will survive.  Can you help me keep him awake?”

Tiny Noct nodded and tightened his grip on Ingis’ arm with his blue tentacles.  “ _Where is Prompto?”_

“Still working on that one… I need to get Iggy stable and then I can look for him.”  He was about to say more when a sudden bolt of lightning tore through the sky and struck nearby followed by an equally impressive boom of thunder.  “Shit guess we need to find cover first!” Without delaying he instructed Noct to hang on and he swiftly scooped Ignis up in his arms. 

Ignis groaned but didn’t voice his protest any more than that.  Gladio thankfully spotted a nice rock outcropping that would shield them from the rain.  He carefully sat Ignis down and worked as quickly and efficiently as he could to staunch the bleeding from the cut on his arm and bandage it.  The rain had come in earnest now and was splattering around them.   He still needed to find Prompto and he didn’t want to take too long.

Working on bandaging Ignis’s arm Gladio was able to take a closer look at Noct new form.   He seemed to be about the size of a small cat and his tentacles were a brilliant deep iridescent blue color.  From the waist up he looked humanoid.  His skin tone was a little darker and he had patterns of the same brilliant blue on his shoulders and arms.  His head was the most distracting.  It was slightly larger than it should have been in regards to his body.  But it was almost… cute? The more the shield thought about it he really did look adorable.

Noct’s tiny voice cut through Gladio’s train of thought. “ _Hey big guy… he’s falling asleep that’s not good right?_ ”

“No.  It’s not; try poking him in the face or talking into his ear.”   Gladio watched as his little Noctopus planted himself square in the middle of Ignis’ chest and started to talk to him about stupid things they did when they were kids.  It worked, Ignis was blinking blearily but he managed to stay conscious.

Now to the next issue, where was blondie.  He patted Noct on his head lightly with his finger before he got up and took a deep breath preparing to go out in the rain.  His mind was now worrying about Prompto.  Did he have the same status effect as Noct or was he really hurt somewhere.  He had worked as fast he could to make sure Ignis and Noct were safe so he could go in search of their gunner. 

He left the protection of the outcropping and was drenched in a matter of minutes from the torrential rain pouring down.   The rain made it hard to see as he scanned the ground looking for any signs of his friend. He would periodically turn his head back to check on Ignis and Noct.

He called Prompto’s name a few times but doubted he would hear anything over the rain, especially if the blonde had morphed into a small octoman too.  

He was feeling helpless and getting frustrated that he had made no progress but then a small movement caught his eye.   Something had moved behind a small cluster of rocks on the ground.  He rushed over and bent down to get a better look.  There was a small space in-between some of the rocks and he couldn’t see inside. 

“Prompto!? Is that you?” He called desperately.   “Please if that’s you can you come out from there?  Iggy’s hurt and Noct is tiny and cute looking.  I need to get us all back to camp to rest.”

A minute or two passed but it felt like an eternity.  The rain, an unwanted participant, continued falling as Gladio waited for a response.  Finally a small golden tentacle slowly curled out of the crevasse followed by a bunch more and then the tiny form of Prompto came into view. 

Gladio’s heart clenched at the sight, even with the rain and different form he could tell that Prompto was super distressed.  His face was red and blotchy, he had been crying. “Come on just hang on to my arm and I’ll take you back over to Noct and Iggy.”  He said gently as he slowly reached his arms out towards Prompto. 

Unfortunately the blonde’s first reaction was to dart back into the dark space. “Prompto… please buddy.  I know you are freaked out but I really need you to come out again and come with me.” Gladio tried so hard to make his voice as calm as possible.  He didn’t want to have to try and dig the rocks out to get to Prompto.         

Suddenly Prompto dashed back out and latched onto Gladio’s forearm.  Gladio instinctively shielded his tiny head with his other hand and turned to walk back to the rock outcropping.  He could feel light touches on the palm of his hand, but he didn’t dare look down.  Prompto was trying to hide and he was going to try his damnedest to help him feel better even if it meant not looking at him.

The feeling of dozens of tactile tentacle arms across his skin was weird to say the least.  Ignis must have been really out of it to not mention it when Noct had grabbed him earlier.  He reached the outcropping and ducked back under to lean against the rock face. 

“ _Did you find him?  Is he okay?_ ” Noct asked suddenly once he was sitting down. 

“I don’t believe he is hurt, just freaked out.  I think if we leave him alone right now it might be helpful.” Gladio offered all while ignoring the golden bundle of legs in his arms.   It must have been the right thing to say because he felt Prompto’s tentacles relax around his arm and he could tell that he was leaning back into Gladio’s hand.   He suddenly realized he could feel a little heartbeat hammering away against his palm.   

Before he could say anything more he felt a weight on his shoulder.  Ignis had lolled to the side and was resting his head on the shield. 

“ _Should I wake him up?”_ Noct asked hurriedly.

“Was he lucid when you were talking to him earlier?” Gladio inquired.

Noct thought for a moment and then nodded.  “ _Yeah, he was lucid._ ” 

“Then he can pass out, we will just have to wake him every few hours to make sure he’s still coherent.  If he was able to hold a conversation with you then I believe he should be okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

They had to wait another twenty minutes for the rain to stop.  Noct had stayed on Ignis’ chest and curled up eventually falling asleep with his tentacles flailing every which way.  Typical Noct, even as an octoman he could nap excessively.  Prompto had moved a little but had stayed hidden under Gladio’s hand still staying silent. 

“Iggy? Come on, I need you to wake up so we can walk to the car.” Gladio sighed as he rolled his shoulder hoping to nudge Ignis awake.  After a few attempts he stirred. 

“What happened? Why does everything hurt?” He groaned as he pried his eyes open.  “OH.  That’s why.  What the hell is that thing?” He said looking over to the tentacled monster in a heap on the ground.  

“I’ve been staring at it for almost thirty minutes and I can’t figure it out.  It sort of looks like something mated with a malboro, which is a fucking disturbing thought.”

“Ew.  Well that might explain why our younger friends were affected by such a strange status effect, if this monster is a hybrid of some kind.” 

Gladio shook his head; it was really a disgusting thing to look it.  "It had a special tentacle underneath that was different from the rest, I think a strike from that one created the status effect.  More importantly though, we need to get to the car.  I saw a caravan at the last outpost.  Hopefully it’s free and we can spend a few days there until Noctopus and Promtopus get back to normal.” 

Gladio thought he was doing well, he had managed to convince Prompto to ride on top of his head while he had Ignis’ arm slung over his shoulder.  Noct just hung onto the advisors arm as the group slowly walked back to the car.  However, when Ignis was settled in the fully reclined front seat with Noct still attached, Prompto wailed pitifully as Gladio tried to pluck him from atop his head.

Thinking hard for a minute he finally suggested that Prompto could ride in the center console with the cover open.  It was dark and private he could hide easier.  Thankfully that idea was accepted and they began the drive to the outpost. 

 

* * *

 

 

Gladio mentally gave himself a pat on the back as he pocketed almost 8000 gil from the unknown bounty they had killed.  It had come as an afterthought to cut off a part of the tentacle from the ugly monster.  They hadn’t come looking for a bounty this monster had just appeared.  So it wouldn’t hurt to lug a piece with him in the trunk just in case.  He was so happy he listened to the nagging voice in the back of his head.   They could all rest a little easier now with some extra cash. 

First order of business was to restock on potions and elixirs.   Second was to secure lodging. Things were looking better as he walked back to the car.   

He debating about going to the hotel but opted to rent the caravan for a little more privacy while they waited for the status effect to wear off.  Passing off a bottle of potion to Ignis he watched as he took a long deep breath after he downed the entire bottle.  Gladio knew it had healed his cuts and bruises but he was sure his head probably still throbbed.  

“Iggy, why don’t you hop in the shower and I’ll see about getting us some takeout.”  Gladio announced as he exited the car.  “Prompto stay here for a minute I’ll be right back to pick you up okay?” He wasn’t expecting an answer so the tiny ‘ok’ that was squeaked in his direction was a shock.  He quickly schooled his expression into something more unfazed and hurriedly went in the caravan. 

Ignis and Noct were right behind him and the second they were inside the door Noct released Ignis arm and rushed all over exploring the space.  “ _This is so cool I can fit anywhere!_ ” He squealed.   

“I can see the headline now.   Prince of lucis lost in caravan, all hope is gone.” Ignis muttered. 

Gladio shook his head and laughed.  “In the shower with you, I’ll grab your bag and leave it inside the door for you in a minute.  You will be taking it easy for the next couple of days.”

Ignis didn’t fight him and trudged off to the back.  Gladio went back to his task.  He selected an upper cabinet in the kitchen and rearranged items making space on one side.  He fished around in some drawers until he found dishtowels and threw them in the newly cleared space.  Now he hoped that Prompto would be accepting of his makeshift accommodations.

He caught the glimpse of a leg coming out of the console when he opened the car door again.  “Can I carry you inside?  I have a nice private space set up for you.” 

Whatever internal struggle Prompto was dealing with made everything take a little longer.  Finally he crawled out of the console and towards Gladio’s arm.  The shield worked really hard to not look at him as he cradled him protectively  going back to the caravan.   Gladio thought Noct had been moving fast when he saw him first.  That was nothing compared to the blur of golden legs that was Prompto as he bolted into the cabinet.

“I know you want to be left alone, but do you need anything else? I’m going for food in a minute but I’ll be back ok.”  Gladio waited patiently for a few minutes until a tiny golden haired head peered around the cabinet edge. 

“ _I’m okay… um… do you think I could have some water?”_  He said in a soft voice much the same as Noct’s. 

“Yeah sure.”  Gladio rushed around the kitchen until he found a small bowl and filled it with water and placed it inside the cabinet.  “Sorry they don’t make little cups for you two.”   He thought maybe he caught a small smile on Prompto’s little lips but he didn’t keep looking to confirm it.

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful.  Ignis showered, ate, and promptly passed out on the bed in the back.  Gladio knew he would feel better the next day but he needed rest since the advisor had a mild concussion.  

Noct had successfully managed to lure Prompto out of his cabinet when he assured him that Gladio wasn’t looking.  He _was_ looking just not directly.   The two younger men were playing a game on Ignis’ phone.  It looked cute to see them working hard to just press the touch screen of the phone since their hands were so small.

Gladio was sitting in the dinette area reading his book, if reading his book meant not finishing the one page he had been on for a good ten minutes.  He was too distracted surreptitiously checking on the two octomen to get very far.  They had eaten something which made the shield feel better.  He wasn’t going to bother with checking on teeth brushing until he had a thought.

“Hey you two want me to fill the sink with warm water so you can clean up?” He asked without looking up from his book. 

“ _Ohhh that sounds nice.  I think I have mud stuck in my little suction cups.  Is there a technical name for these things?”_ Noct queried.

“Ignis would know that answer; otherwise you would have to moogle it.” Gladio responded as he set his book aside and walked to the sink preparing the make shift bath. 

The next 20 minutes passed somewhat peacefully.  Gladio actually was able to read his book despite the giggling and small splashing that was happening in the sink.  Then at a particularly interesting part in his cheesy romance novel a loud thud broke his focus.  He looked over his book and frowned at a bar of soap on the table that wasn’t there before.  He turned to the sink and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Peering over the edge were two little heads each with a pair of overly expressive eyes looking right at him.  “Did you perhaps lose something?” He asked as he tossed the bar back over to the sink where it made a splash.   Shaking his head he smiled and returned to reading his book.  The giggling resumed shortly afterwards. 

They lasted for another 15 minutes until he heard a small whimper.   Glancing up he saw the two had clamored out the sink and were huddled together on the counter.  He understood immediately, they were cold.   He had anticipated this outcome and had a towel ready on a chair nearby. 

Gladio wrapped them up in the towel and took them back to where Ignis was sleeping.  “Are you both comfortable sleeping in here?  Iggy doesn’t toss and turn much so you won’t get squished.”  

Noct nodded yes and leapt out of Gladio’s arms onto the bed to find a nice spot to snooze.  Prompto stayed in Gladios arms and looked hesitant.  “You can stay up with me if you want, I don’t mind.”

Taking Prompto’s inaction as a yes he walked back out and grabbed his book.  He stretched out on the sofa and rested the blonde on his chest, still wrapped in the towel.  His friends would always joke that he was a human furnace so it was no surprise when Prompto feel asleep curled up on top of Gladio.  He looked relaxed. 

Gladio could finally compare his markings to Nocts.  Prompto’s colorings were golden and iridescent as well.  He had the same out of proportion head as the prince.  It made them look really cute.  He was sure the pointy elongated half drooped ears also added to the cute look.   They were twitching in his sleep.   He drifted off shortly afterwards and stayed as still as possible so as not to jostle the blonde.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day was easier. The boys were still half octopus but Ignis was feeling better and Prompto seemed to have gotten over his initial anxiety.   They spent the day lounging and being lazy.  Ignis raised an eyebrow and offered sincere thanks when Gladio dumped his bundle of gil in front of him.

“Who knew that miserably ugly thing would produce such a wonderful gift.”  Ignis mused.

“ _Hey Specs!  What are our suction cups called?_ ”  Noct yelled from the sofa where he and Prompto were testing who could hold the heaviest item with their tentacles.

“Suckers.” Ignis responded mildly

“ _Heyyyy that’s not nice!  I just asked a simple question_.” Noct retorted.

Ignis sighed and glanced at Noct.  “Your majesty, your suction cups are called suckers.  I wasn’t referring to you directly.”

Noct stared at Ignis and tilted his adorably cute head.  “ _Oh. Sorry.   I was expecting a long scientific latin name not ‘suckers’._ ”

“Yes, well the scientific world is full of surprises.”

 

* * *

 

 

Gladio had to admit that the best part of the day was when they all decided to play cards.  He mistakenly thought the two small card players would be at a disadvantage.  However, their multitudinous legs with suckers allowed them to hold way more cards than he thought possible. 

Ignis and he didn’t stand a chance they lost every round.  But it was worth it to see their companions happy, seemingly having forgotten about their change in appearance.  

They ate dinner in front of the caravan and watched the sun set.  Ignis’ voice cut through the silence after they finished eating.  “The sun makes both of you look very luminous.  Prompto you look like you’re made of gold and Noct you look like dark mother of pearl.”

Gladio watched as Prompto blushed and Noct puffed himself up and unfurled all his tentacles to catch more fleeting rays from the sun.     

Everybody slipped into the same sleeping arrangement as the night before.  Noct curled up on a pillow beside Ignis and Prompto huddled in a small towel on Gladio’s chest.  The shield knew when Prompto had fallen asleep his little pointy ears started twitching again.  He tumbled into sleep shortly afterwards. 

 

* * *

 

 

A great solid weight woke Gladio up.  He struggled to fill his lungs with air.  Then he realized a full sized fully human version of Prompto was asleep on his chest.  Well not exactly.  Half of him was still on his chest the other half was strewn off to the side.   He smiled and carefully sat up picking Prompto up as he went. 

He got up and turned around to properly place Prompto on the sofa so he could sleep.  A thought struck him and he quietly rushed into the back room, there was a big version of Noct passed out on the pillows at the head of the bed. 

Returning to Prompto he edged him out his boots and got his belt off.  Gingerly lifting him again he was able to remove his jacket.  He felt that he could sleep comfortably enough and laid him back down covering him up with a warm blanket.

Gladio repeated the same process with Noct, resituating him in the bed and removing his shoes.  Ignis stirred a bit but didn’t wake up.  The shield paused and waited for his breathing to even out before he continued tucking Noct in the bed. 

He grabbed his sleeping bag from the corner and went back to sleep in the space on the floor next to the sofa. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Shhh… will you let him sleep, he has been taking care of all of us for the past two days.” Ignis murmured as Noct and Prompto struggled to stay quiet sitting at the table playing kings knight.

“Well then wake him up and get him to move to the bed, his back will better for it.” Noct whispered.

Gladio was awake already but he was enjoying the conversation so he relaxed and stayed quiet.  He was eventually able to fall back asleep despite the hard surface and silly chatter from his friends.

Ignis fixed a tasty lunch and they all ate too much sitting at the table outside of the caravan.  It was wonderful.

Noct was helping clear with dishes with Ignis when Prompto drug his chair over to Gladio. “Hey, big guy… um… I wanted to just say thanks for taking care of me I’m not sure why I got so freaked out.”

“It’s no worry Prompto.  I figured you were just shy about how you looked.  So I tried to give you some space.”

“You did great.”

Gladio smiled at the blonde and reached out his arm to rest it on his shoulder.  “I wish you could have seen yourself, you and Noct really did look cute as tiny octomen.”

“Well, we did take a few selfies when we used your phones yesterday, so you and Ignis could remember it better.” Prompto beamed. 

**Author's Note:**

> So a google search implied that you can in fact go to sleep with a concussion taking into consideration doctors recommendations etc.


End file.
